About the service: The Gables is a care home service. It is registered to provide personal and nursing care for up to three younger adults who are living with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection one person was living in the service.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include choice, control, and independence. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service:

Staff had not completed all of the mandatory training set by the provider.

We received positive comments about the care provided in the service. People were involved in the planning of their care and their care records reflected their personal needs and wishes.

People were made to feel safe by staff who understood how to safeguard people from abuse.

Individual risks to people’s health and wellbeing had been identified and plans put in place to manage known risks.

People were supported to maintain their independence and were given choice and control about their care and treatment.

Staff adhered to the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and best interest decisions were clearly documented.

Medicines were managed safely by staff who had received ongoing assessments in relation to the safe management of medicines.

People’ were encouraged to maintain their interests and partake in activities and courses in the local community.

There were regular meetings for people who used the service and staff.

There were systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of service being delivered.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 30 September 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to inspect as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

This inspection took place on 11 and 12 August 2016 and was announced.

The Gables provides accommodation and support to a maximum of three people with a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder or mental health needs. It does not provide nursing care. Accommodation is provided in three self-contained flats. Each flat has a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. On the day of our inspection there were three people living in the home.

The provider has another service, Keys Hill Park, which is situated about a mile away from The Gables. Keys Hill Park was inspected by the same inspector and in the same week as The Gables. This is because the two services operate closely together. They have the same management team and some staff who work across both services. Some records for both services are also held at the offices in Keys Hill Park.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were safe living in the home. Risks to people were identified and well managed. There was a clear reporting structure and oversight of incidents and accidents. Staff understood their responsibilities regarding adult safeguarding.

Risks relating to the premises were managed. Medicines were managed safely. Staffing levels were sufficient in order to keep people safe and meet their needs.

Staff spoke highly of the training they received. They were supported to provide effective care through management support, good team work and effective training. New staff were provided with a detailed induction that gave them the skills and knowledge to undertake their new role.

Staff understood the basic principles of the Mental Capacity Act and ensured people were supported to make decisions.

People’s nutritional needs were supported. Staff supported people to maintain good health; this included supporting people to eat healthily. People were supported to access healthcare services where required.

People were supported by kind and caring staff, who encouraged people to be involved in decisions about their care. There was a strong emphasis on independence. Staff supported and encouraged people to be as independent as possible.

People were involved in the planning and reviewing of their care. This helped ensure the support, and activities, provided were responsive and individual to people’s needs.

The complaints process was distributed to all people, so they knew how to complain. The provider took action to address any concerns.

Staff enjoyed working at the home and spoke positively of the support the management team provided. Quality audits were in place which helped the provider monitor the quality of the service delivered and take action when needed. The provider had introduced a culture and values programme which aimed to encourage staff to take accountability and display key values and actions. This had had a positive impact on staff morale and on how staff carried out their roles.

This was the first scheduled inspection of The Gables, since it opened in November 2012 and we met with both of the people currently living there.

One person told us they were happy with their move and saw it as a big step forward. They said the manager, “…suggested I move here as a step onward to living on my own…”

The other person we spoke with said, “I’m not quite ready to live completely on my own yet but I’ve been so much better since I moved here…”

One person told us, “I have a budget and do my own grocery shopping." They also told us, “I’ve got a menu planner, with healthy options.”

Both people we spoke with told us that they took their medicines at the prescribed times and were able to tell us what medicines they had been prescribed, what they were for and how and when to take them.

The member of staff on duty at the time of our inspection told us that, although staff worked alone at The Gables, they felt totally supported and had easy access to other members of the team or the ‘on-call’ person if they ever needed any assistance.

When we spoke with people about making a complaint one person commented, “I just phone them up; I had a problem with my heating not working recently and they got it fixed for me.” This person also said, “I’ve got no complaints at the moment. I’m quite happy the way things are.” Another person said, “They know me, I’ll speak my mind if I’m not happy with anything.”